Memory Monday: Tripping on the Little Stuff (Matthew 25:23)

Friday night was a busy night. My husband went to see the first night race at our local speedway. My oldest had a soccer game, and my youngest had hockey practice at the same time. Hockey practice was followed by a team party.

We managed to get through both soccer and hockey without any injuries. The party was fun. My youngest loved hanging out with all her hockey friends, and I enjoyed talking with all the parents.

We were headed home to put everyone to bed when my youngest got tripped up. She fell off the curb getting into the car after her hockey party. I'm not sure exactly what happened, but when I went around the car, she was lying on the ground whining that her foot hurt.

It was 10:30 at night, so I did what every good mom does. I checked her out, saw no blood or bone, assumed the whining was a product of the late hour, said "you'll be fine," took her home and put her to bed. Saturday morning, she came hopping into my bedroom about 8 o'clock and announced she couldn't walk.

So, off to the urgent care we went. We returned home with an orthopedic boot and orders for a week of rest to heal badly sprained ligaments in her foot.

As I reflected on the events of the evening, I had to laugh. We survived a soccer game where elbows were flying and my oldest ended up on the ground more than once. My youngest made it through practice for a sport that allows 7- and 8-year-olds to carry large sticks and puts blades much sharper than my kitchen knives on their feet. No one suffered injury in either of those things.

Yet, when it came time to do one of the simplest tasks of the evening -- walk to the car and get in -- we ended up with an injury that required treatment.

So often, it's the little things that trip us up. We survive the big temptation only to be caught by the little one. We choose not to lie, only to be tripped up by gossip. We pass on dessert, only to find ourselves adding calories with a piece of chocolate. We do well in controlling our tongue, only to find unkind words spilling out in a moment of anger.

We have to constantly be on guard against the little temptations in life because the more times we get tripped up by the little stuff, the easier it is to lose focus in the big things. Everything we do matters to God. How we act in the small moments is just as important to Him as how we do when faced with the big issues.

God cares about how we treat our friends and family. He cares about how we treat our bodies. He cares about whether we spend time with Him. He gives us opportunities to make the right choices when the consequences are small, so we can make the best choices when the consequences are large.

Matthew 25:23 says "You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things." When we are faithful to follow God in the small things, He will reward us with more opportunities to be faithful.

It's in the way we handle the small things that our true character shows. Anyone can do the right thing in public, but it's what you do when no one is watching that says the most about who you are.

Small things matter to God. Don't let them trip you up.

It's Our Anniversary

Today is Everyday Truth's anniversary. A year ago today, I started the Everyday Truth blog with this post. I was reluctant to start a blog and post my triumphs and failures in parenting for everyone to see. I was most worried about the pressure it would put on my kids. I didn't want people to expect them to be perfect children or me to be a perfect mom.

My prayer has always been that God would protect my girls from criticism and judgment rendered just because their mom writes about parenting. You've probably noticed that I don't use their names in the blog. I know it's more impersonal for you to read, but it gives my girls a layer of protection. However, my fears of critique and judgment have generally been unfounded. God has protected my girls from all hurtful comments and judgment.

Once I pushed past that fear and began writing, I discovered something. I love this little community. Those of you who read, comment, press the "Like" button on the Facebook page and send me emails are the reason I get up at 6 a.m., five mornings a week to write what God puts on my heart. You are a group of the most encouraging, thoughtful readers. I love hearing suggestions, triumphs and concerns from you.

In the past year, I've learned a lot about how to write a good blog, a little about search engine optimization and to ask my children before I post anything potentially embarrassing to them. But the most important thing I've learned is that if God asks you to do something, He's going to show up and help you do it.

On this day last year, when I finally said "OK, God, let's go," I made a commitment to God that I would show up in my recliner ready to write every morning if He would show up as well. I've missed a few mornings, but God has never missed one.

In Philippians 1:4-6, Paul said "In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." God's good work in us begins with our salvation, but it continues on in the way that we serve Him.

Sometimes God asks us to do something that pushes us outside our comfort zone. We may be hesitant to step out and begin, but God is faithful to walk every step of the road with us. He is faithful to complete the good work He began.

A year ago, I really didn't think I had much to say on the topic of raising kids. I mean, really, what do I know? My kids are only halfway to being raised. Yet, God wasn't impressed with that argument. He knows a lot about raising kids. All I have to do is listen to Him.

And every morning, He has shown up and given me something to say. I know that He will continue to do so.

So, this morning, if you have been touched by something that appeared in this blog in the past year, take a minute and thank God for His faithfulness in providing something to say each morning. And if you have used one or more of the ideas in the blog in the past year, comment here or on the Facebook page and let us know how it worked.

I look forward to spending another year sharing God's wisdom with you. Thank you for letting me be a part of your lives for the past year. I can't wait to see what God has in store in the next 250 blog posts. Thanks for sharing the adventure with me.